Life of the Demkan
by writingwrox
Summary: Andy never knew the truth about her parents' lives or hers --not till she died. With a dark foreign plane, dangerous secrets, forbidden romance and a prophecy to boot can Andy survive life as an honorary Titan and figure out what her life is really about
1. Prologue

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Ch 1:

Prologue

Cyborg's robotic and human eye scanned the crowd carefully. His eyes finally rested on Brock Ryder. The man loomed over his bride in height and mass, his muscles rippling from underneath the dark tuxedo. His short red hair was arranged neatly, his jaw was clean shaven, and his mustache was a neat line. The large man's green eyes gazed fondly at his new bride.

"Well, I could say a mountain of things about little Rae and Brock. How they met in Britain a cold and rainy autumn, or how Brock moved all the way to Jump to chase after her. I could talk about how Raven pushed him away, quite literally, but he finally won her over. I could say that we all hated him." The crowd giggled. "But I want to say how happy I am for them now," Cyborg finished his speech by raising his glass and nodding at the newly wed.

"Too kind, mate, too kind," a grin split Brock Ryder's face.

"My turn, my turn!" Beast Boy hopped up. "I seriously hated Brock when he first came here and started flirting with Rae. But then Brock taught me some cool British words and _lost_ to _me_ at video games. He is definitely an awesome guy and completely deserves Raven. So, on that, I declare this marriage sacred!"

A smile crept across Raven's lips at this. How she would miss the green changeling.

Starfire rose. "I am so glad that our Raven has found such a good man as Brock. All we can hope for is that our friend comes back from Europe with a little Brock junio—"

"Hey, Star, it's okay, just sit down." Robin eased his drunken girlfriend back into her chair and then rose to face the gathered crowd of superheroes. The attending had no need to disguise their identities. The groom had discovered long ago who the people in the crowd truly were. Robin smiled and then looked at the couple.

"I thought he was a stalker," Robin began, "and had BB and Cy capture and interrogate him before Raven explained that he was infatuated with her. They met in a café inside a bookstore in London two years ago and Brock followed her all the way back to the Tower. He bought a speedboat and stared up at her window for days from the water. Brock helped Raven get through things. With her father and Malch…Brock revived her. Even though his accent annoys me a bit, I wish you," Robin looked directly at Raven, "and Brock a happy and fruitful life together."

"Amen to that," Roy Harper called out and there was a collective clinking of glasses.

A few minutes later, Raven approached the Boy Wonder alone. She was truly beautiful tonight, Robin admitted. Her dress was dark and simple but it looked majestic and simply radiant on the dark Titan.

"Robin, I have to tell you something," her amethyst eyes bore into his mask with subtle hints of anxiousness and worry.

"What is it, Rae?" Robin asked as he sipped at his water.

"I—I need to make a life out of this, a normal one. I want to get a real job, maybe raise a family. Brock and I are moving to Massachusetts after the honeymoon, Rob…" Raven took his hand and placed something round in it. After a deep, resigned breath, the dark heroine continued with two fateful words:

"I quit."

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this is just the prologue, but more is coming

writingtitanslove


	2. My Disastrous Life

**Ch 2: **My Disastrous Life

It was times like these when Andy knew she was an interesting person.

The girl knew who she was. She was an outgoing, charismatic, and intellectual person with a large portion of sarcasm and dry humor. She had to admit that she had a gnarled side. A trouble magnet was super glued to her fists. Despite that, Andy moved through her school days with a goofy smile and an attitude, though her afternoons always seemed to be a little more negative. She believed meeting new people was always a good thing and never let a chance go by on greeting a new student at her school—even if those confrontations meant something bad would happen to her later. So maybe she wasn't eager to meet new people. Maybe she was eager to piss the new kid's new friends off. The offside to it all was that Andy's witticisms and "friendliness" didn't always attract good thoughts.

It was on that basis that I found myself in the middle of the school soccer field, touching my lip gently. "That's blood, bitch," I thrust my crimson fingertips toward a furious, tan girl. "Blood."

"Yeah, it is, idiot. And you're about to see a lot more," Selena growled and lunged for me, Andromeda Opal Ryder.

A. O. Ryder was a well built girl with toned muscles from sports and constant workout. She wasn't exactly quick on her feet, but discus training kicked in at that moment and pivoted her body to the side. Selena went flying past but regained her ground quickly.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Selena's gang shouted, eyes wide in fury.

**Get 'em, Andy! We can beat this bit—**

_Just shut up already._

I knew the situation was bad, I knew it all too well. Selena's four friends would gang up on me and the fight would crumble quickly for me, the troublesome Ryder. So I acted quickly and grabbed Selena's shoulder as she was recovering. A hard, swift knee to the stomach doubled the tan girl over. I grabbed Selena's curly mass of hair and wrenched her head up so the girl's brown eyes stared into my black ones.

"You wanna try that again, Kusta?" I snarled, anger bubbling inside me, threatening to overflow. Selena Kusta lashed out and her foot connected with my shin. A smile twisted onto my lips. "I guess we'll have to talk about this then, won't we?"

"Let me go and we'll have a chat," Kusta sneered.

I pushed my opponent backwards and waited impatiently for the girl's first attempt. It came slowly and clumsily and I stopped Selena's fist with my palm easily. Twisting my opponent's wrist sharply, I pulled backwards and let Kusta stumble to the ground once more. Dodging two more punches, my body took the offense and struck the tan cheek of my adversary with an iron fist. There was a crunch and a grunt as fist connected with foul mouth.

"Damn it. You got blood on my knuckles, Kusta. Be a little more careful where you put your mouth," I snapped at the girl cowering on the ground, clutching her lips. "Now," my fingers slipped a shiny blade out of my pocket as the gang began to creep around me, "let's all stop and think. I won, fair and square. So back off," I brandished the knife threateningly. "And when I see you assholes tomorrow, we'll be mates, eh?"

"You're not from damn _Britain_, Ryder. Drop the knife and we'll finish this _our_ way," a tall, ugly one spat.

My eyes rolled. "How many times must I tell you? I'm from _Scotland_. And—oh! Is that Devontrey?!" I exclaimed and pointed behind them.

At the sound of the dark-skinned, sexy senior, the girls turned and I broke into a run, pushing against the ground desperately with my multi-colored shoes. As I covered more ground, the girls realized that Devontrey was nowhere to be seen and began to race after me, the girl with long hair due for a beating. My red hair was getting all in my eyes as I ran, and I fumbled to pocket the knife as I tore across the soccer field. While distracted, I didn't see the barrel-chest of the school principal rising up to meet me, and slammed into Dr. Kent's muscled frame.

"Whoa! Dr. Kent, sorry, man. I, uh, gotta be goin'," I sidestepped and began my escape once more. A strong hand grabbed the hood of my sweatshirt and pulled me back. "Erm, yeah?" I asked hesitantly, a bit disconcerted by his strength.

"What's all this, Ryder?" Dr. Kent gestured to the five furious girls, one of which was bleeding.

"Uh, they had a fight over Devontrey. He's in such high demand right now, ya know? It's like he's a new phone." My brain was seriously struggling for an excuse and a getaway.

"And that, on your knuckles and your lip? Ah, blood. And what's that shining in your pocket?" His fingers deftly plucked out the knife. "I see."

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"Unruly, disrespectful, unmanageable…the list of your daughter's attributes goes on and on, Mrs. Ryder. Sadly, the faculty and I cannot manage your daughter's misbehaving any longer. We can't have her here," Dr. Kent removed his glasses forlornly.

_Alright, _I admitted tiredly, _I'm not charismatic in the best way. Outgoing in a disruptive way—maybe. Meeting people is my thing though…alright maybe that's not in the best way either. I never said I had a great attitude. My attitude happens to include some bad behavior…But this junkyard is pointless anyway. _

That's positivity if I ever heard it.

"I'm so sorry about her, Dr. Kent. But do you think this is necessary?" my mother asked calmly, though I could plainly see she was furious. The principal had just said I was being expelled and mom was infuriated.

"It is most necessary. We do not want your daughter in our school. She is an embarrassment to me and the county. She can clean out her locker now. Goodbye, Andromeda."

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"How many times have I said 'sorry' to you, mom?"

"Four times," Rachel Ryder snapped. "And you've got nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety six left to go."

A sigh escaped my lips as I hefted more books and trash out of my locker and into the grocery bag mom had found in the back of the car. Years in the school system were being deposited into one plastic bag.

Currently, mom was blowing a gasket. Later, dad would blow five.

"Andy, haven't we talked about _these_?" Ms. Ryder snapped and tossed an empty box of cigarettes into the bag.

"That was from years ago, mom! I quit, I swear!" I insisted and shut the ruby red locker for the last time.

Mother and daughter were halfway out the school door when a deep voice shouted. "Mrs. Ryder! Wait a moment."

My mother stopped and turned. She walked swiftly but cautiously back to my former supervisor. "Yes, Mr. Kent?" she asked icily.

Dr. Kent muttered a few words and my mother's head jerked into a nod. He put a hand on her shoulder and said something else, something harsh by the way his lips moved. My mother walked back to me and, with a steely glare, pulled me out of the school.

"Your father will be elated. You're going to military school," she grinded through her teeth.

I stopped dead in my tracks and watched my short mother walk. After a few seconds of utter shock, I ran after her shouting, "Wait! What?!"

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"I'm sorry, dad! They were gonna—"

"You know better than to even _talk_ to them, Andy. And a knife, Andromeda. _You brought one to school_. You know better," my father roared, his cheeks as red as his beard.

"Dad, you keep saying that I know better, but I obviously _don't_. They confronted _me_. It was five to one, I had to defend myself!"

My fingers curled into my palms as my anger grew. His thick head could not comprehend the situation I had been in. It was an absolute disaster zone, our living room.

Dad sighed. He knew I was right but still thought I could've run away. But running was something I could not lower myself to, not in a fight.

"Just…go to your room, Andromeda," my mother commanded, rubbing her temples with an exasperated sigh.

Full of pent up anger, I stalked into my white room and slammed the door. I slid down the back of the door. Tears began to flow down my cheeks as my parents' voices began to grow in volume. The two adults of the house had never yelled at each other before. They always seemed like such great friends. A great fountain of red hot anger was being spilled onto the floor now. And it was my fault.

"She is NOT going there, Rachel!" my father yelled and I was surprised. He was always so gung-ho about me going into the army, but now he was rejecting military school. What was this?

"It's the only thing left, Brock! She has to have a life and this is the only one left!" That was the loudest I had ever heard my mom speak.

She was usually all calm and controlled, never allowing an emotion through her shell. It was with that cool composure and strained love that I was raised. The only things I inherited from my mother were her depression, her sadness, her terrifying calm and her intelligence. All that woman had ever done was hurt me. The depression that always seemed to curl around my heart pushed me toward the smoking. The sadness had torn at my body and the frightening calm had made anyone willing to love me run. Intelligence put A's on my report card but made me furious. I didn't want to be like her.

Dad and I were best friends. We worked out together and spent most weekends talking. I had his thick red hair and heavily muscled build. I'd inherited his height and love of exercise. His bravery and his happiness were inside me forever. Sadly, mom's attributes canceled out the happiness most times. But Dad was the only one I could relate to in this house.

The house shook and I figured my father had slammed a fist into the coffee table. There was silence for a long time.

Then, my father spoke. "I'll call him. But I doubt he'll be happy about it."

Sitting against my door, rubbing tears off my cheeks, I was at a loss. Were they _really _going to send me to military school? Would my parents do that to me? And who was _he_?

No one came to talk to me after that. So I stared out the window and into the night. A terrifying chill crawled up my spine, slow and cold.

Something was coming.

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The hour was twelve, the minute was five and the second was unknown. I was lying in my bed, staring at the ceiling forlornly. My stomach growled and I wished I'd been brave enough to step outside my room for a piece of toast. My parents had quieted down and a telephone call was made. If only I had a phone in my room, I could have overheard. The call had ended and my parents had gone to bed.

Throughout the night, I'd felt the urge to sneak out and do something fun to relax. Take a walk around town, sneak into a friend's house for a chat, or maybe simply lie under the stars for a little while. But my body was nailed to the bed. I didn't have the will to lift myself out of bed.

After a heavy sigh and a discontented frown, I inched off the mattress so I was sitting on the floor. My gaze stretched past the glass of my window and into the night sky. The color was pitch and the stars twinkled white. An orb of pale light hung tiredly in the sky, above the conifers outside my home. As I stared, a bright red dot appeared in the distance. At first, I assumed it to be the light of an airplane coming in for descent. But it got closer and closer, building in speed and luster.

Slowly, I began to inch backward. Then my inch became an all out scramble as I stumbled to my feet and fumbled with the doorknob. The roar of fire crashed through my window and glass crashed into my room. Pieces of sharp window sliced into my back, my shoulders, and my chest and I fell to the floor, writhing in hot pain. The shards of glass were swirling around my room like sharp throwing knives. Some fell out of formation and dug into my back, sending me into spasms of hurt.

The torrent of wind that had shaken my room died down, sending a few more fragments of window into my skin. I was vaguely aware of three forms standing atop my carpet but was in too much pain to acknowledge them.

"Shit, Quinton, look whatcha did! We weren't supposed ta hurt her, idiot!" a high-pitched, male voice exclaimed.

A deep voice bounced back. "I didn't know, Jasper! How am I supposed to know where she's standing?"

"Ya just are, numskull, ya just are. Now pick 'er up. We gotta get goin."

"Wait!" a third voice chimed in. "Let me help her."

The others grumblingly agreed and the slighter, younger man stepped nimbly toward my body. He crept down close to my face. "Hello," his blond hair waved, "I'm Ryan. I'm here to help you."

My lips were dry like my throat and I could do nothing more than to nod slightly. His hands reached to my back and pulled a shard of glass out in one swift motion. Pain ripped through my back and my body curled slightly. Ryan's fingertips pressed against my back and the pain slowly decreased. A sigh broke through my chapped lips as my body relaxed slightly.

"Good Lord, Ryan, get it over with. Ach, forget it. Quinton, just get the girl and let's go."

The other man muttered a few words before stepping over to me in big, lumbering steps. He pushed Ryan out of the way and leaned down. His hands were inches from my arms when another blast shook the house. Quinton's large frame crashed into my wall and Jasper's feet ran toward his comrade.

"Get lost," a male voice instructed solemnly.

"Holy shit, Quinton. It's Scar," Ryan squeaked.

Quinton spat, "He's just a boy in tights, Ryan. I'll take care o' this."

The man named Quinton charged across the floor and slammed into the wall. "Damn it," the large man spat.

Slowly, I pushed my body off the floor to see a dark form clasping the back of Quinton's neck. He was around my height, maybe taller and his hair faded into the night. "Yes, Quinton. Damn it." As the last syllable disappeared, a terrific blue shock sizzled throughout the towering man's body.

Quinton crumpled to the ground and Jasper and Ryan dove for the window. The dark person in my room let them go but his hands were clenched tightly. After kicking Quinton, he stepped over to me. I had dropped back to the ground, too tired to sustain that position. A leather-clad hand reached down and grabbed my hand.

The stranger pulled my body right up off the floor without me having to move. "Come on," his voice was hoarse. "We're gonna get you out of here." He took my arm and slung it around his shoulder and began to drag my limp body across the floor.

Pain was dulling my senses and fogging my vision as Scar pulled me out of my bedroom. Mom and Dad were standing outside the door, looks of utter terror on their faces.

"Folks, there's nothing to worry abo—Raven?!" the boy exclaimed and nearly dropped me.

My mom had flipped the light on and my hero looked shocked. Mom stepped back into my father's arms. "Are you?" her voice was hushed and breathless.

"Your daughter is dying. We need to get her to the…"

Their words were lost to me. My hands were starting to feel fuzzy and lifeless, I couldn't move them. A dark shadow was creeping into my vision and supporting my body was becoming more and more of a strain.

I heard and experienced one last thing before passing out.

Someone—my mother—wrapped their arms around my bleeding, glass speared body. My mother's purple eyes stared into mine and she whispered, "It's going to be okay, Andy."

A shivering shadow encased my mother's limbs and all that I could see. Darkness overtook me and the ground disappeared from beneath me.

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okay, hope you liked. It's definitely different than any other 'Raven's daughter story' but I hope someone likes it! R&R

~writingtitanslove


	3. In Binds

Hellooo. I know most people are resenting this idea of Raven's daughter not being anything like her but hang in there for me! I don't think it's that bad of an idea, but that's the writer talking. I need your feedback!

Forgot this in the last chapters...but come on people..really.

**Disclaimer: **I only own the characters you never seen before. I wish I owned the ones you do but, alas, I am not that cool.

**Ch 3: **In Binds

"Your room is still open. We'll arrange one for your daughter. She's going to be fine, don't worry Rae. I'm sure she'll wake up soon. Here, hold onto this. Rae, you saved her, it's okay."

These were words spoken by a deep, male voice and were directed toward my mother. A few harsh clunks of metal hitting floor and my eyes opened. The light was soft above me and the room was dark overall.

"Honey? Oh, gods, are you alright?" the pale face of my mother appeared above me. Her mouth was a worried line and wrinkles creased her forehead in her concern.

"I—I'm fine," my voice cracked and I tried to move.

"Don't, Andy, just stay still. Go back to sleep, just rest," she insisted.

It was all I could do to nod. My eyes closed again and, after a few minutes, my mother left. Slowly, I crept out of the bed. My back throbbed but I got to my feet, clutching the bedside table for support. There was a pole leaning against the bed and my fingers wrapped around it.

I hobbled around the room, taking in my surroundings slowly. The room was lined with empty hospital beds and the walls were painted a rich brown. I winced through the door and made my way down the dark hallway. There were no windows so I assumed I was underground. The location was unknown to me, but I knew something weird was happening.

Not only had I been attacked and almost kidnapped, my mother had done something, something weird. She'd put her hands on me and then a black light surrounded her. It was suspicious.

The hallway finally ended and turned into stairs. I used the cane to push myself up the steps. Halfway up, the pole slipped out of my grip and the stairs rose up to meet me.

"Careful there," a male voice chuckled.

Someone had slipped underneath my falling body. Fingertips were pressing against my chest lightly, holding my weight. His eyes were a troubled turquoise and thin brows hung over the mix of green and blue. I was all too aware of the awkward position we were in and he as too, no doubt. His lips twitched in a smile as he pushed me upright.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" he asked.

"Where am I?" I asked tersely and picked my cane back up.

"A place."

My hand landed on his chest and pushed him into the wall. "Tell me or get out of my way," my words were forced as I tried to contain my annoyance.

"Why would I tell _you_ anything?" his eyes narrowed but I could tell he was surprised I pushed him.

"That's what I thought." My fingers bunched up the material of his dark shirt and pulled to the side. Dark Stranger stumbled down the stairs and I quickly restarted my ascent.

The door was a problem. Carefully, I grasped the handle and turned. Rockets of pain shot up my arm but I gritted my teeth and moved through the door. I came face to face with a mirror. My reflection surprised me.

My eye sockets were sunken and my skin was much paler than usual. I was still dressed in my sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants. The clothes hung off my body and my hair was a wild mess atop my head. I looked horrible.

A soft wind brushed my hair to the side. Quickly, the wind picked up and I could hardly stand still anymore. The wind was rough and sharp against my skin and a few cuts formed as I guarded my face from the onslaught.

"I'm gonna get you Marv! I'm gonnna get you and then rip your head off!" a girl screeched.

"Haha! Dream on, Onyx! You can't catch me!" a boy hollered.

A tall blond guy streaked past me and the wind disappeared. He was followed closely by a brunette with a furious expression. Her shoulder slammed into me and knocked me to the floor. The pain that scorched through my muscles was almost nothing compared to the fury pulsing and pulsing through my veins.

The girl, Onyx, had stopped and was clasping her hand over her mouth in surprise. She was halfway into an apology when I twisted up off the ground, pain forgotten. My fingers curled around her throat and smashed her body into the wall.

Before I had a chance to growl a threat into her blue eyes, something sharp pierced my neck and I collapsed.

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"She looked like a banshee! With that sick grey skin and the sunken eyes…gosh. Seriously, Cage, she was stronger than you and…She looked like she was in so much pain when she hit the floor but then she jumped up so quick…I didn't mean to," a girl said softly.

"We know, Onyx, don't worry about it. You used the tranquilizing kind so it's okay. Raven's said that her emotions cause this. Rage is the worst. But Pain supposedly brings on her Rage…what we have to do is…ach, I don't even know."

I was in the same room, staring up at the same soft light. People were gathered around me. Four teenagers, my parents, and four adults. The teens looked scared, my parents concerned, the adults angry.

_What is going on_?

**They're going to detain you! But we can fight 'em. They're no match for us! **

_Shit, it's you again._

**What? You think I'm just going to **_**leave**_**? I'm here all the time, Andy, and I never give up! You're brave so I'm Brave. All the time. **

"She's dangerous Raven, we—"

"It's Rachel, Robin."

"And it's Nightwing, _Rachel_. Until she learns to control herself, we can't have her walking around here. For attacking a Titan, she's been automatically classified as a threat and we have to deal with her as one. We've got a place for her and a room for the two of you," a man told my parents.

"We can't go back?" my father snapped.

"Your home has probably been destroyed by Specter's minions. It's safest for you here," the deep voice from before entered the conversation.

"Fine," my parents agreed, annoyed.

"She's up," someone commented, finally seeing that my eyes were open.

I was lying flat on my back and attempted to push myself up. I was unsuccessful due to the fact that my ankles, wrists, and neck had been tied down to the bed.

"Ah, ah, Andromeda. You're a villain now. There's no getting out of this," the boy who had defeated Quinton and caught me on the stairs appeared above me, his voice taunting me with every syllable.

My best death glare shot up at him as I discovered my mouth was taped shut. I struggled against the bindings anyway. How had my father let this happen?!

"Trevor, please," a voice said tiredly.

The bindings broke away from the bed and my body lifted into the air. I couldn't move as an unknown force pulled my arms and feet together to bind them again. My feet hit the cold floor and hands grabbed my arms. Something was forced over my head and the world around me turned black.

"Is that really necessary, Ro—Nightwing?" my mother snapped.

"We don't know what she's gotten from you, Raven. Cyborg, go with Cage and Trevor to lock her up. Cell 666."

The Devil numbers. Thanks.

I was moved forward again by an outside force and, after a while, I gave up trying to break free. The bindings were strong and even though I was furious, I couldn't get out.

Soon, I heard a door swish open and bars clank as they bumped into each other. The black cover was taken off my head and the tape was ripped off my mouth before I was pushed lightly into a room by a set of worried fingertips. I could tell though that touch that the person behind them thought this was wrong. The door shut noisily as I turned back.

Dark Stranger was standing next to a huge, dark skinned man half made of machinery. The robot's red eye stared at me blankly while the human eye looked concerned. Beside him stood a teen with chocolate skin and silvery hair pulled back into a ponytail. His eyes were the color of his hair and full of worry. Dark Stranger was full of contempt.

My shackles broke off and slid across the floor, melting to fit through the bars of my cell. The silvery haired boy caught them in an outstretched hand. My best guess said this was Trevor. So that meant Robo-Man was Cyborg and Dark Stranger was Cage.

"Nothing makes me happier more than seeing a _villain_ locked up," Cage taunted smugly.

"Cage, get lost," Cyborg snapped. "If you can't treat Raven's daughter with respect, you're going to get hurt."

Cage gave me a wary look and then began to walk out. "She's got no self-control. She can't be _Raven's _daughter."

"Everyone seems to forget that people have fathers," Cyborg murmured. His glance turned to me, "I'm Cyborg and this is my son Trevor. Welcome to the Tower."

"I feel very welcome," I muttered dejectedly as the robot clunked out. I sat on the cold floor of the cell, careful not to hurt my back.

"Don't mind Cage, he's just sore you pushed him down the stairs," the guy, Trevor, said as he surprised me by sitting down in a chair outside my cell.

"Aren't you scared or something?" my tone was bitter.

"Nope. I can control you since we placed the metal into you."

"You did _what_?!"

"The surgery. We couldn't get all the glass out of your system so we had to encase the pieces in metal spheres so you wouldn't die. It didn't stop the infection but—"

"How long have I been here, Trevor?"

"A few days. The surgery lasted eight hours and you've been unresponsive for two days. Your parents were worried sick."

"Why are you being so friendly?"

"It's in my nature. I think Nightwing reacted too quickly. He's mad your mom left, I suppose so he's using this to get back at her."

As I processed this information, I grew suspicious. "He's mad my mom left _what_?

"The Titans, of course. Hasn't she told you anything?" Trevor seemed confused.

"Told me what? Wait, my mom left the _Titans_? She was a _Titan_?"

"Yeah. She was Raven."

This information blew my mind. My mom was a superhero? _Raven_? It made sense. Mom barely showed any of her emotions, just like the mysterious Titan had. She was reserved and quiet and strange things happened around our house on occasion. A fork would appear at the table and no one had moved.

"So that makes me…Who's my dad?!"

"Brock's human, as far as we know. But, look, I'm not really supposed to be talking to you. Erm, sorry, I have to go."

Trevor departed and the cell I was imprisoned in grew colder. The walls were plates of metal and a cot was pressed against the back wall. Stepping over, I sat.

This situation I was stuck in confused me to no end. One moment, my biggest worries had been military school. Then, three strangers with the intent to kidnap me exploded into my house and nearly killed me. Then Cage, "Black Wing", rescued me and I ended up in Titan Tower. Then I accidentally attacked two of them and was stuck in a cell because I couldn't keep my anger in check. And then—

**Come on! Break down the walls; they're no match for us! **

_Brave, just go away. I can't get out._

—I find out my mom's an empathy superhero who left the Titans to have me. So that means I've got some sort of powers too, most likely. Maybe that was who this "Brave" person in my head was.

**Well of course. **

Your mom has us too, different ones maybe but someone's always with you up here.

_Whoa. Who are you?_

I'm your Intelligence. Sadly, you haven't you used me lately. You've got more of your mom inside you than you realize, Andy. 

_No, I don't. I'm nothing like _her_._

What's wrong with you? Don't you want to be like her? She's a hero!

_Not to me_.

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"Well, what's going to happen to her?" Onyx asked curiously, tucking her knees under her chin as she gazed over at Trevor.

The nineteen year-old sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "How should I know?"

Marv shot him a contradicting glare from the microwave. "Dude," he said as he pulled his meatloaf out, "you're the closest to our macho leader except for Cage."

"Then why don't you ask _him_?" Trevor asked, crossing his arms.

"'Cause _he's _talking to his girlfriend," Marv shot back as he stuck a fork in his lunch.

"Did anyone ever tell you patience is a virtue, Blaze?"

"Virtues are for monks. _I_ am not a monk."

"Obviously. I don't know what's going to happen to her. Nightwing is overreacting so I don't think we could even guess at what he's going to decide to do. But I seriously doubt he's going to let her out for a while."

"That's stupid! I wasn't even hurt!" Onyx exclaimed. She was troubled that their leader would be so rash.

"It doesn't matter to him. He wants to get back at Rav—"

"What are you guys talking about?" Cage entered the conversation, taking a seat at the table.

"The, er…"

"Raven's daughter?" Cage finished for Trevor.

"Yep. We wanna know why your dad's bein' such an ass about her," Marv stated simply.

Cage sighed and grabbed one of the carrots off Marv's plate. "I dunno. He's mad. She'll be out soon. Raven will convince them."

At that moment, they heard a loud crash and a few shouted words.

"Or the big, bearded brute will," Cage muttered, referring to the large, red-bearded man Raven had married.

Onyx stood and opened the fridge. "I'm taking her something to eat," she said as she fished a sandwich out from the array of food piled inside.

"You can't do that, Onyx. She gets issued rations," Cage said as he stood.

"Oh, loosen up Cage. Go talk to your girlfriend or something," Onyx told him as she left for the cells.

Onyx had to admit she was a little scared, meeting this girl again. She'd scared Onyx half to death before. The brunette carefully approached the door that led to the cells, clasping the bagged sandwich tightly. A few steps away from opening the door, Onyx began to hear voices coming from inside.

"Intel, how many times do I have to tell you?! She _never_ cared for me. She doesn't deserve my respect, much less my _love_…No. I'm not giving her a second chance. Mom won't change."

Onyx froze. Not only was it strange the girl was talking to herself, but she was talking to herself about her mom. And what Onyx was hearing was nothing close to positive.

Taking a calming breath, Onyx opened the door anyway and put on the most cheerful smile she could manage. "Hello, there. Want some lunch?"

The red head jumped backwards in surprise. "Whoa, geez. Who are you?"

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I knew the girl; I'd slammed her into a wall. But it was worth finding out her name if she was going to be nice and bring me food. She said her name was Onyx Owens and she had a turkey sandwich for me. She tossed it through the bars and I stepped forward to catch it.

"Wow, you're kinda fast," she commented and sat in the chair Trevor had left outside my cage.

"Just hungry," I told her, swallowing a bite. While I'd been talking to my emotions, I hadn't realized I was so famished. It must have been days since I'd had food.

Onyx laughed. "Well what can you do, being Raven's daughter and all?"

_Raven's daughter_. That's what I am. _Her _daughter. It implied that I was special. "I can't do anything."

"Oh, sure. You're super strong, that's obvious. You're fast and your parents say you can really pack a punch. Surely that's something."

"No, I just practice a lot. It's what my dad and I do." The only thing I had from my mom was her stupid emotional crap, and I wasn't about to tell this girl about them.

That would be a wise move.

_I'm not an idiot, Intel._

If you were, I wouldn't be here.

"Are you okay?" Onyx asked hesitantly.

"What? Oh, yeah, fine. How long am I going to be in here? Am I seriously a villain?"

Onyx shrugged. "Nobody knows what Nightwing is going to do. Cage thinks he'll get over it soon, but not even he can know for sure."

"I just don't understand why this Nightwing guy is so mad at my mother," I tossed the plastic bag back at Onyx and sat back down. It was very easy to talk to her.

Onyx picked the bag up and stuffed it in her pocket. Running a hand through her smooth, shoulder length blond hair, she stood and shrugged, "No one's told me. If you really want to know, I'd try talking to Cage. No doubt he'll come down to interrogate you in a while. If he does, don't ask about the scars."

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**Aw, they can't touch you, Andy. Just break out, you know you can.**

Brave. Seriously. That is insane and you are being misleading. Andy will just get into more trouble if she tries breaking out.

_Can you all just stop talking? I've already got a headache._

You don't have a headache. Rage is trying to break out again and Pain is trying to hurt you enough to make you mad. So it is not really a headache.

_Oh, I see. It's an emotionache, unlike you. You are just a pain in the—_

"Geez, what's with you?"

My eyes flipped open in annoyance. Cage, Scar, Dark Stranger, was standing outside my cell, hands on his hips. His black hair fell down around his face in mysterious, attractive strands and his turquoise eyes glinted at me. Cage's face was made of hard angles and pronounced cheekbones, hints of dark stubble tracing along his jaw. He wore tight black jeans and a mocking, wry smile. For some crazed reason, the boy was shirtless in the freezing room. I had to admit, his chest was sculpted and alluring. A jagged scar cut from his right shoulder to his waist. His muscled arms bore similar marks.

"I fail to see why you would care."

"Well, I doubt you'd want me to assume you were just crazy. Unless you really are," he commented as he sat, his tone suggesting that I was.

"I'm no crazier than you."

He frowned and crossed his arms, blocking his larger scar from view. "Touché. But don't you have problems like you mom? Demonic possession, any evil boyfriends?"

"I have my own problems. None like my mom, thank you," I snapped, trying to control the annoyance inside me. All these people comparing me to my mother. I had a father, damn it. Just because he's not alien or a superhero doesn't mean he doesn't exist.

"So you've got modernized problems like hers. Say…cigarettes. You're addicted."

I blinked. This was something I hadn't seen coming. My mother obviously didn't believe me when I told her I'd quit. But—and I don't lie—I did quit, right when she told me to. I thought I could get some respect, maybe some love from her if I did. But that was a year and a half ago.

"I quit."

"I'm not blind. You've got a smoker's strut. And I can tell even though the side effects aren't showing. It's probably got something to do with the power's you've gotten from your mom. There's something in your eyes."

Even though he didn't believe me and he was really sounding weird, I didn't get angry. All I could do was return his stare and repeat. "I told you. I quit a year ago."

"Nightwing says you didn't and it's a problem. So here," he tossed something through the bars. "Use it."

"Uh, no," I retaliated by kicking the packet of gum across the floor.

"I'll make you chew it. Don't doubt me."

"Prove it," I dared him as an escape plan formed in my head.

**You're fast enough to get by him, strong enough to toss him across the room, skilled enough to kick his—**

Shut up so she can concentrate!

Cage smirked, "So you really want me to come in there, force your mouth open and make you chew some nicotine gum?"

"No. Obviously, you do."

The shirtless boy stood and began to unlock the door. Once it was halfway open, I bolted from the wall I'd been leaning against to the door.

I swear. I was halfway out, mere inches from escape.

A lightning fast hand grabbed my shoulder and jerked my body backwards. "Ah, ah, prisoner. You're not going anywhere."

His speed surprised me but the blue energy crackling around his other hand even more so. Not only was he threatening me, it was working. Obediently, I stepped backwards, out of his grip, and proceeded to lean against the wall.

"Now come on," he grabbed my chin, "eat the gum."

I waited a whole second to respond. Or rather, I was captivated so I couldn't respond. The scars were so numerous, all over his body. And when I looked up at his eyes, it seemed like they had scars too. Deep, wicked scars. Signs that this boy had seen way too much way too early on in life. I felt his pain.

"Holy crap, weirdo," I jerked out of his grip, finally obtaining the will to respond, and snatched the gum from his hand. "I'll eat the gum, just back off."

"Hey, I'm just supporting the cause. Dad says if you go clean, you get out."

Cage left, leaving me confused. My fingers nimbly unwrapped the paper encasing the gum and I popped the gum into my mouth.

_Hey_, I figured, _it won't hurt anyway._

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"Get my daughter out of there _now_," Brock snarled, his face pulsing red in his anger.

"Brock, I told you. If she eats the gum, she gets out," Nightwing repeated again, keeping his anger in check much better than Mr. Ryder.

There was silence in the meeting room for a long moment. Nightwing's son, Cage Grayson, appeared in the doorway just in time to break the tension. "She ate it, Dad. Her memory will be gone in ten minutes and her smoking days will be over."

"Good job. Get Changeling down there to talk it out with her."

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

Something strange was happening to me. My hands were shaking uncontrollably. A sense of dread was washing over me. The cell walls were spinning faster and faster. My body crumpled to the floor and I couldn't stop my limbs from shaking. Noise was nonexistent and a grey haze shadowed over my vision. My thoughts were scattered, a disarray of shouting came from outside.

And in a moment, everything stopped and shone a bright, brilliant white.

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Okay, I was going to post this on later, but it was just sitting there...staring at me. So I hoped you liked it and please review, it makes me feel good ;]. (psst, flamers are not appreciated. healthy criticism is great though)

~writingtitanslove

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	4. Afterlife

**Despite receiving absolutely no reviews, I'm going to continue to update this because I like the story...So review if you want (I'd love you to) and if not, well, thanks for reading. This chapter is sort of short, but it's interesting.**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I got the rights to Teen Titans for Giftmas..yes, I know you're jealous--Psyche**

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**Ch 4**: Afterlife

"Welcome, Andromeda Opal Ryder. Welcome. Hey! I said WELCOME." A voice was shouting in my ear. A high pitched, buzz of a voice too. Something cold hit my face, jolting me out of whatever sleep I had been in.

"Whoa!" my body rocketed into consciousness.

A little kid was hovering over me, a wicked grin stretched across her face. "Good, you're awake. I was wondering when you'd finally get up, lazy butt. Afterlife isn't the place for couch potatoes!"

"What the heck are you talking about, kid?"

I touched my face but there was no water dripping down. Still, a chill was swirling around my shoulders, making the scenery seem even drearier. My body was stationary on a sidewalk made of freezing stone, tall drab buildings stretching up around us. The sky was a depressing grayscale, not a trace of sunlight.

"My name's not 'kid', Andromeda. I'm Harriet Hardy but you can call me Harry. Now come on, Andy, it's time to move. You don't want Zak to get you, do you?"

The uppity little girl skipped down the barren road, glancing back occasionally. With weary limbs, I pushed myself up into the colorless atmosphere. My knees buckled as I attempted to run after her and my shins connected with the hard concrete.

"No! Come on, Opal! You can't fall behind!" Harry's voice echoed down to meet me but I could no longer see her. Pitch darkness had fallen over the strip of sidewalk, the only light coming from my knees. White, shining blood was pooling from unbelievable scrapes in my clothing. My desperate attempts to stand again only made the blood flow faster.

"Well now, now. What is this? Another drug-induced death. How sad," a sarcastic voice with a thick British accent droned from above me.

As I staggered to my feet, I looked up. A tall, skinny boy with ruby red skin stood before me in black rags. His arms were crossed, sharp claws tapping large biceps. The boy had ruffled white hair and cruel red eyes.

"What are you talking about?" my feet stumbled backwards awkwardly as I tried to determine my position.

The teen's mouth twitched. "You're dead, 'Opal'. What'd you do? Take too many sniffs, pass your needle around, what is it, kid?"

"I suppose you're Zak."

"You'd be right in that as—wait. What's that on your cheek, kid?" the red boy, Zak, stepped forward and grabbed my jaw roughly. Sharp daggers dug into my cheek as he turned my head slowly and peered at my scar curiously. "Oh man, you're kidding me. You're the girl they've been talking about, eh? That prophecy. Ach, Delphi. Come on, Opal."

I jerked away and began to walk backwards warily. "My name's Andy and I'm not going anywhere with you."

Zak frowned and scraped a claw down the side of the building he was standing next to. The screech sent a shiver up my spine. "Ach, I figured as much. Delphi'll come to you then, I s'pose."

Next to Zak, a robed figure suddenly appeared. She swayed slightly in place, beads clinking together lightly. This was Delphi, no doubt.

"Well, tell 'er then, Delph. This is his kid, we better."

The elderly woman's eyes dragged from the ground to my eyes. The unseeing eyes unnerved me and I stepped back.

"You will return," he voice had a quavering attribute, "to the world of the embodied ones. Converse with the Healer, for he needs your help," the woman's wrinkles stretched into a smile. "Find romance for the Stone hidden in the Forge. Find truth through the love of the X. Connect the scars," her tone was breathless. "Hide in the tank and you won't be seen. Fight the shadows as a friend departs. In the end, the decision will be yours."

Millions of questions had already accumulated but Delphi disappeared. Her words lingered in the air like an overcast cloud. An eerie feeling settled over me as the words began to repeat themselves over and over in my head. I would never forget her words.

"Ach, who knows what she's talking about, eh? Now, you need a drink? Your Da wouldn't like it if we didn—"

"My dad? What are you talking about, Zak?"

"What? You don't know 'bout your dad? Ha, figures he wouldn't tell you an' then you end up here. Your dad runs Afterlife, kiddo. Did you honestly think your mom would fall for anyone less in ranking?"

My absolute shock slowed my heart beat and brought a cold sweat to my brow. Was this cretin suggesting my father was…supernatural?

"Not supernatural, Andy. He's _ultra_-_un_natural. You can't simply be supernatural to govern Afterlife. Brock's got so much power in 'im…makes me wonder what the hell _you _are…"

The red Zak continued talking but the words were lost to me. I stared blankly ahead as my heart beat grew slower and slower until it was hardly present. Air was escaping my lungs too quick for my liking and my eyelids were drooping.

"Oi! Good luck out there, kiddo!"

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"What were you thinking, Rachel?! Why couldn't you just TRUST her?!"

"_Trust _a seventeen year-old, Brock?! She's never done anything to make me believe a word she says! And all you've been doing is promoting her behavior!"

"_Me_?! At least I've cared for her! All _you_'ve done is—"

"Will you two, _shut up_? The last thing she would have wished for was her parents to fight when she is dead." Starfire was not entirely sure of the situation since she had been out when everything had occurred, but she knew their anger would only upset the girl's poor soul.

After a tense silence, Brock sighed. "You're right Starfire. But this wouldn't have even happened if Rachel and your husband had been a little more trusting of my daughter."

"The way you say that, Brock, implies that she isn't _my _daughter."

"You hardly act like she is, Rachel." Brock's teeth ground together as he tried to contain his anger.

"You know what, Brock? Why don't you just go there and get her back, huh? You run the place, so go. Go save _your_ daughter."

Rachel Ryder phased out of the infirmary in an orb of sinister energy. With one last glare at the ceiling, Brock slumped into a chair and dug his head into his hands.

"What is this Raven speaks of, Brock?" Starfire questioned timidly. "I thought you ran a biscuit factory. How would you save Andromeda by going there?"

"Rachel is confused, Star, just like me. Our daughter has just…passed on." Tears slid from Brock's eyes. "Do you mind if I rant for a while Starfire? I feel like I need someone to listen without yelling at me."

"Go ahead, Mr. Ryder. I do not mind."

"Thanks…That day, when your son saved us from Specter's goons, Andy got expelled from her school. When Rachel suggested to send her here, to straighten her up, I was furious. Rachel thought Andy was doing this on purpose, but she doesn't realize what impact she's had on Andromeda's life. Andy's always been a troublesome kid; it's one of many things she got from me. There've always been problems with her. The smoking bout, all her fights, the injuries and depression. It's put so much stress on her mom and me. Rachel was truly concerned, I know that, but she never tried to…to become Andy's friend. She did quite the opposite."

"Raven has many troubles expressing her true emotions."

"I know that, I know. But it hurt Andy her whole life and now…well, she died never knowing what a mother's love felt like. All the problems Rachel had: her loneliness, her sadness, her depression, they all transferred onto Andy. My daughter has had to struggle with that…she had to go through so much just to die because…because her own mother didn't trust her."

"What…What is it Raven did not trust?"

Brock sighed and rubbed his beard. "Andy was fifteen when we caught her smoking behind the house. We made her promise to quit and I did a lot to help her recover from the addiction. Rachel never believed that she quit. And now…you know Nightwing has the gum that, when mixed with the nicotine in a smoker's brain, will erase a section of that person's memory? Your husband's theory was similar to my wife's—Andy was a big liar. So he figured that wiping her memory would solve the villain problem. But since she wasn't smoking, the gum shut her system down completely. And that's why she's laying there now…dea—"

A series of rapid beeps cut Brock Ryder off. He stood immediately and strode over to the corpse of his daughter. The screen displayed a heartbeat. Andromeda's dead grey skin was slowly, very slowly regaining its peach hue. Brock could hardly breathe as his daughter's eyes flipped open and her chest jerked upward as she inhaled a deep, gasping breath.

Brock Ryder fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around his frail daughter. "Thank you," he whispered into her hair, his heart burning with his joy.

"Dad. Who _are_ you?"

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there you go! Review maybe?

~writingtitanslove


	5. Cage

**Thank you SO MUCH to my one reviewer! Means a ton to have your support. Chapter 5 is short. Sorry, it's sort of a filler. **

**Disclaimer: I hardly own my _guitar_, much less TT.**

**enjoy!**

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**Ch 5: **Cage

Cage rubbed his eyes of sleep. The Watch Room was too warm and he had been sitting with his feet up too long. Sleep was slowly going to overtake him but until then, he was going to keep watch. Onyx and Trevor were goofing off in the living room and Marv was on the phone, talking to his friend at Titans East. No one had told them. Cage's father, Changeling, and Cyborg were gathered in the meeting room. No doubt they were discussing Andromeda's death. His mother, Raven and Brock Ryder were in the infirmary.

Raven and Brock were competing in a fevered yelling match while Starfire watched with troubled eyes. After a minute or so, Raven disappeared and Brock collapsed in a chair. Cage listened intently as he began to speak about Andromeda.

She had been through so much with her mom's problems on her shoulders. Cage felt bad for ever assuming anything about the empath's daughter.

Cage's first impression of Andromeda had been helpless and dying damsel in distress. Then his thoughts had shifted to a short-tempered pyscho. Then Cage viewed her as a druggie with a bipolar disorder. And now, in everyone's eyes, she was dead.

Ashen, corpse skin and unseeing eyes. No breath left. Cage knew that, in essence, he had killed her. He'd forced the gum into her hands and…

Cage let his head fall into his hands. His fault, he'd done it. Cage had never killed before. Sure, he'd knocked plenty of people out, made them bleed…but never killed. That wasn't what the Titans did. They preserved life…Cage had destroyed it with a stick of gum.

It was unbelievable how hard he was taking this. He'd known her for a few days, talked to her two, maybe three times. There was something about her that he found attractive. Not in a love way, but in a way that…

Cage couldn't explain it. It was just…she had such an air of mystery around her. He was curious and wanted to figure her out.

She had scars too. At least a hundred ones, if you counted the little ones. Not that he'd looked, of course. He blushed at the thought. It was just a rough estimate. All that glass had torn through her and she had been in so much pain. The scar on her cheek, he didn't know where that came from but…

He felt her pain.

**Bee-beep. Bee-beep. Beep beep.**

At first, Cage thought it was his communicator. Marv would sometimes change the ring tone. But he soon discovered that it wasn't his communicator. It was Andromeda.

The screen showed that her heart was beating and Brock ran over to the bed. Andromeda's chest rose violently as she took in a huge gulp of air.

Cage shot out of his seat and opened his communicator. "Dad. She's back."

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**There we go...she's back. It was short....very, very short.**

**~writingtitanslove**


	6. Rebirth

**Figured I ought to just put this up right after Chapter 5. I wrote this while listening to 'Rebirth' by Skillet, which isn't that surprising. It's a really good song though.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah right.**

**Enjoy!**

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**Ch 6: **Rebirth

The feeling of rebirth was incredible. Everything I saw was crystal cut and bright. The first feeling of being alive was rejuvenating. Fresh, crisp air pierced my throat and clearing my mind. My father was the first person I saw and his arms wrapped around me tightly. He whispered something inaudible.

My speech and thought process were not damaged…it was like I'd just woken from a horrible nightmare. So I chose my first words carefully.

"Dad. Who _are_ you?"

He stepped away, eyes wide. "What did they tell you?"

My response was on the tip of my tongue when my mother appeared a fissure of black light beside me. "Oh, gods, Andromeda. You're alive." Those words held the most compassion and care I'd ever heard from anyone. Ever. Maybe Intel was right. She loved me. "Honey, you're alive." Real tears fell from her eyes as she knelt and hugged me.

For some reason, I began to cry as well. I cried into my mother's shoulder. And I cried for everything. For our depression, for our never connecting, for our lack of love. We'd found a way to be closer. My only wish was that it didn't have to be through death.

A few emotional minutes later, a tall man who looked almost identical to Cage appeared. Nightwing. He muttered a few words to my father and then disappeared again.

"Andy, do you want to go to your room? Can you walk, honey?"

Wishes mean nothing. My mother actually cared and it hardly mattered what circumstances I discovered it under.

I told you.

**I knew you could get out! There's no way death could keep **_**us**_** down! Now get up, you can do this! It's just walking, Andy.**

"I'll just trans—"

"No. I got it," I said through gritted teeth and slid off the bed. Pain from my surgery still existed but I ignored it as I tried to balance myself. My first step was unsteady and painful but the second was better.

The third step created a black vortex around my foot. My body fell forward as I began to slip down into the dark hole. I heard a sickening crack as my head connected with the floor.

_Shit. Not again. Don't let me die again._

I wouldn't worry, Andy. Your mom will save you.

All of a sudden, I was lying on the floor a few feet away, my foot free. "I got it, don't worry. That was just Afterlife, trying to grab her back," my mom said in a steely tone. "Let's get you upstairs. _Now_."

Raven picked me up off the floor and took my hand in hers. Her hand was encased in a shimmering, black energy. She whispered two words before we disappeared. "I'm sorry."

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"So you're saying that she died, came back to life, and now she's…what? She's one of us?" Marv asked doubtfully as he bit into an apple.

"It's the least we can do. We killed her, after all. And don't you think her anger can be controlled? I mean think about it, Marv. She's got super strength, speed and skill. Who knows what else she can do?"

"Cage, seriously, man. She's a maniac; didn't you see her attack Onyx?"

"She's not that bad," Onyx piped up from the other end of the dinner table.

"Yeah, she just has some issues. Nothing mediation can't fix," Trevor stated logically.

"Trev, stop agreeing with your girlfriend. It's annoying as crap."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Trevor turned a bright shade of red.

"Whatever. I'm just saying…That psycho is crazy and if that crap happens again, one of us is going to get hurt. Those meds better work, Trevor." Marv stood angrily and stalked out of the living room.

"I said medi_tation_!" Trevor called after him but then sighed. "What's his problem?"

"Aw, he's just sore he's not getting all the attention with the new girl dying and all that," Onyx joked as she poked her broccoli around her plate.

"Well he'd better get over it. Once Andromeda recovers from her 'rebirth', or whatever, Nightwing's gonna start her training and she'll be going on missions. Tell me you two are at least a _little_ welcoming of her," Cage glanced at his two friends with a glimmer of hope.

"Erm…I don't know, truthfully. The idea of that girl going ballistic again doesn't make me too…ecstatic, Cage. Let's just see what happens, huh? I've got some homework to finish up, I'll see you guys in the morning," Onyx yawned and left the living room, ruffling her blond hair as she stretched.

Cage sighed. It was all too obvious that none of the other team members had connected well with Andromeda. "What about you, Trev?"

"I think we've all met her at the worst time possible. First she's almost fatally injured and then we detain her because she got a little mad. It's got to be stressful, not to mention painful. I'm not really going to judge her from my first impression because she was so bitter then…So I'm going to wait, see what she turns out to be. If Spector's guys hadn't barged in that night, we'd probably had met her under better circumstances." Trevor rolled his shoulders, "Did you hear anything of Raven and Brock's fight? Your mom was muttering about it in the meeting room."

Cage frowned. Trevor got to go to meetings because he was nineteen. Cage had to wait a few more agonizing months. "Well…it wasn't anything good."

"All the better. We need to know what's wrong with her to get on her good side, right?"

"True, true." Cage began to tell Trevor of the fight and then progressed onto Brock's 'rant'. Repeating the information made it all the more clearer in Cage's mind as to what Andromeda lived through.

By the end of the repeated conversation, both boys were solemn. This would be harder than they thought.

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My new room was so similar to my one at home it was painful. Barren landscape and blank walls. The shocking plainness of it unnerved me. Mom left me in there once she was sure I was okay. In truth, I felt fabulous. I was awake and on the verge of happiness. And one thing would push me a step closer toward happiness.

When my mother left, I dug around in the bag my parent's had put together for me and found my drawing utensils. Uncapping a black sharpie, I stepped toward the wall. Delphi's prophecy could never be lost in my mind, but writing it out would help me piece it apart. Maybe figure out what the hell she'd been saying.

_You will return to the world of the embodied ones. Converse with the Healer, for he needs your help. Find romance for the Stone hidden in the Forge. Find truth through the love of the X. Connect the scars. Hide in the tank and you won't be seen. Fight the shadow as a friend departs. In the end, the decision will be yours._

My pen printed out a last note, marking the author _Delphi_. I stepped back and tried to decipher the words.

Well, you've returned to the embodied ones…

_**Because you're back with us!**_

_Who's that?_

Happy. You've finally felt a shimmer of it. I hope you're ha—content.

_Right, whatever. Now I've got a prep on board. Anyway, what does this next line mean? 'Converse with the Healer, for he needs your help.'_

Think about it, Andy. But don't think too hard, you were just brought back to life.

_Oh, shut up, I'm fine. Converse…okay, talk. The Healer…who is that supposed to be?_

Dear Azar, you didn't lose your memory did you? I swear I just saw her walking around…

_Memory? What me—wait. That guy! That guy from that night with the…with all the glass. What was his name?...urg, it was something with an 'R'. R…Rob? No..._

Hem…Ry…

_Ry..an! Ryan, that was it. I have to talk to him? But didn't his friends want to kidnap me, or something? Didn't Nightwing say they were working for some guy, Specter? He sounds evil._

Don't doubt Delphi.

_Um, Intel…that didn't help. Intel. Helloo? Intel?_

[She's busy, sorry. Try again later.]

_What? Who is this?_

[You've reached Nevermore, no one's here right now. Please leave a message and we'll try to get back to you. And if this is Andy, make sure you listen to that prophecy.]

"My emotions have an answering machine, that's ridiculous," I muttered to myself in annoyance.

The Oracle said I would talk to this boy Ryan because he needed my help. What kind of help could he need? The guy seemed fine. And how would I 'converse' with him? I groaned and collapsed on my new bed. This confusion deserved a long rest.

At least this night I knew nothing horrible could happen. Titan security is unmatched.

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_That was easier than I thought it would be_, Ryan thought to himself as he bypassed Titan Tower security and snuck into the garage. The code to the keypad outside the door had been the T-Car's license plate number, Ryan's first assumption.

He now stepped quietly through the garage, making sure to avoid any and all noisy tools in the darkness. His fingers finally curled around a doorknob and he turned it slowly, pressing his back against the door. If he was caught here, he would surely be killed.

But the hallways of the lower Titan Tower were deserted and Ryan moved through them quickly, sticking to the dark walls. After climbing the stairs nimbly, Ryan hesitated at the door that would lead into the Tower's living room. Any number of the Titans could be sitting in that room having a late night snack or playing a video game. But Ryan's determination strengthened him and he pushed a number into the keypad and the door slid open.

Thankfully, the area was empty, save for a sleeping, dark haired teenager with his head plastered against a table. Ryan contained a snicker as he tip toed to the hallway door and slipped through.

Thanks to the tracker the young healer had stuck onto Andromeda Ryder's back, Ryan had no trouble in finding her room. It was the thirteenth door on the sixth floor of the Tower and her keypad number was just that. 136.

The room was a deserted space of white walls and plain sky blue sheets and grey carpet. The young demon had not bothered to turn the lights off and Ryan could plainly see the prophecy written on the wall. Without thinking about it, Ryan memorized the lines before moving over to Andromeda Opal Ryder's bed.

Her red locks strayed all over the bed and onto her pale, angelic face. She was stunningly beautiful, even in her sleep. Ryan had an urge to reach out and brush the hair out of her face and kiss her but he controlled himself.

He had a mission to do.

Pulling his backpack off his back, Ryan unzipped it and grabbed the syringe. He gently pulled back the sheet from Andromeda and carefully, pulled her arm up. After completing all the necessary steps, Ryan extracted a vial of Ryder's blood.

Just as he was about to depart, Ryan stopped and fished the piece of paper out of his pocket. For hours, he'd debated over bringing it. But, in the end, he'd determined that he really needed help. And something told him this girl would help.

Ryan placed the note in Andromeda's open palm and fled the Titan Tower, clutching his bag close to his chest as Pyron encased them in a ball of fire. A crackling burst of fire accompanied the criminals escape as the two faded away.

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**So, yeah, there it was. Ryan creeps me out. He appears to be very much a stalker. And stalkers are weird. Anyway. Hope someone liked it. Reviews make me happy!**

**~writingtitanslove**


	7. X

Here's Chapter 7! Still only have one review, but oh well. I know people are reading it...But reviews are fantastic, you know! Enjoy

**Disclaimer: **If I owned TT...well, it'd be awesome if I owned TT, but I don't.

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**Ch 7: **X

When I woke, I was clutching a piece of paper and a band aid was stuck to the inside of my elbow. Confused, I peeled the band aid back and found a prick mark. Hmm, they must have drawn blood for a test, or something. And the note…

_Username: StRaNgErAOR_

_Password: demon_

My lips formed a tight frown. Not only was it random, it was missing necessary information. What site? Who? What was I looking for?

While I attempted to figure out who had given me this, a knock came on my door. Curiously, I opened the door to find Onyx Owens grinning and standing in front of me with a package.

"Morning, Andy! Nightwing asked me to drop this off. It's just like your mom's," she stuffed the package into my hand.

"What? I don't want it," I tossed it back.

She frowned. "You don't want it? You're part of our team now; you have to have a uniform. Why don't you want your mom's old one?"

"Because I'm not my mom."

Those were the first furious words I'd spoken since my resurrection. Onyx sensed the anger and stepped back, still smiling. "Alright, I'll tell him. Breakfast is usually in an hour. I'd hurry before the boys get it all."

The prospect of breakfast was appealing but, oddly, I wasn't hunger. Picking up a blue towel, I headed for a long, warm shower and soon let the steam envelop me. It felt like the water was washing off all the grime from Afterlife, all the horrid grayness and depressed atmosphere. When I stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, there was a grey towel waiting. I hesitated before wrapping it around my body. Hadn't there been a blue…

Grabbing the towel, I stepped back into my room and dressed. My dad had been smart and packed me my favorite black shorts. They were made of heavy material and hung like parachutes around my knees. After digging around my bag for a few more minutes, I uncovered a loose white shirt and my black skater hat.

Cautiously, I stepped out into the hall. It was dark and cold. My footsteps were light on the carpet as I made my way through halls and up stairs. In theory, I knew what I was looking for. A big round room with a kitchen, a bunch of windows, and computers. But the name and location was unknown to me.

Soon, I opened a door, hoping to find breakfast. A huge room lay before me, filled with plates of metal and a scatter of tools. A car, huge, blue and decked out with electronic plates, was in the center of the room. Someone, two someones, were underneath it, tightening and bolting things.

"Um, hello?" I called out, leaning down. "Can I have directions?"

One of the people slid out from underneath the car with a metal mask concealing his/her face. Trevor lifted the mask to reveal a grin.

"You get lost?" he asked as he stood, brushing his shorts.

"Yup. Where's the, um, breakfast place?"

"We call it the living room and you're on the wrong side of the Tower, actually," his grin grew wider as he stepped behind me and through the door. "I can get you up there."

I thanked him and, silently, we headed up flights of stairs and walked down hallways. "So, Trevor. Do you have computers around here?"

"Yup, they're…well, I'll find you a map," he chuckled. "Do you skateboard?"

"Uh huh. But my board's back at my place," I said quietly as I remembered Nightwing's words. _'Your home has probably been destroyed by Specter's minions.'_

"Don't worry about it. Well, here we are," he punched a number into a keypad and a door slid open. "The code's five, just so you know."

"Thanks, Trevor."

The living room was exactly as I'd been told it looked like. Red and black furnishings, huge windows, and a kitchen area. In that kitchen area, three teenagers and five adults were gathered. I walked over with my hands in my pockets.

"Here, kid," my dad tossed me an apple with a smile.

_He never answered my question._

There's probably a reason for that.

_True._

What's happening to that apple you're holding? Is it dying?

"What?" I spoke aloud and looked down at the green apple I'd caught.

Or the apple that _was_ green. Now it was a sickening grey hue, shrinking and shriveling as it grew darker. The dark apple core rolled out of my hands. I watched in amazement as, on its way to the ground, the apple sized back up and had returned to its green color by the time it hit the floor.

"What the heck was that?" someone asked.

I looked up and saw a tall, green man looking at me incredulously. He was almost as tall as my dad and his skin…it was a deep green, almost as forest green as his eyes. The man wore a royal purple shirt and black jeans. His eyes were wide in shock.

"Did you just…what was _that_?!" he looked at my mom.

"Beast—Changeling, that was…" My dad leaned over and whispered something in my mom's ear. "An effect of Afterlife, how could I forget? She'll just need some gloves."

"Here, Andy," dad walked over and handed me two black gloves.

"Thanks," I muttered and pulled them on. They fit well.

Picking the apple back up, I walked to the other end of the table where the teenagers were standing, looking at me with wide eyes. "G'mornin, mates," I said in my practiced clipped accent. "Don't think I've met you," I said to the unfamiliar one. Had had ruffled blond hair and shining blue eyes and a sneer.

"Marv," he muttered, ignoring my outstretched hand.

_Someone doesn't like me._

**Just beat 'im up. No one'll stop you.**

We've changed her name to Psychotic, don't worry.

_Thanks._

"So what's this Afterlife everyone's talking about?" Onyx asked me, shoving Marv slightly.

A frown creased my lips. Afterlife was something I didn't really want to talk about too much. "It's this place you go when you die, I suppose."

"What was it like, dying?"

I was battered with questions about death and ignored my apple. Cage threw in a couple of questions as well. Marv, the guy with a problem, kept glancing over at us from the conversation he was having with Changeling.

The room suddenly pulsed red and everyone, including my mom and dad, stiffened. The big TV flashed and a scene appeared.

"It's Red X," Nightwing announced. "Cage, Onyx, Marv, get Trevor and head out."

The picture on the screen was catastrophic. What used to be a vault was shown with its sides curling back and smoking. Inside, a figure in black was gathering money into a bag. He turned and I got a full view of him. A red X slashed across his chest and his hands were grey gloves. His face was the picture of a white skull with another red X cutting across an eye. He was tall and lean with a grey belt and bags of money piled around him. A black cape hung off his shoulders menacingly. Red X walked over to the camera and leaned down, his eyes staring knives at me.

"Nice try, Titans," his voice was a deep, crystal computerization.

The screen went black and Nightwing swore. Onyx, Cage, and Marv had disappeared while I'd been staring at the screen. I had this urge to go and watch them fight.

"Raven, take your daughter out there. I want her to watch them fight," Nightwing muttered to my mother. It was like he was a mind reader.

My mom smiled slightly and grabbed my hand. Her skin was cold and callused but it felt good. I finally knew what my mom was, a half demon with telekinetic powers and capable of phasing. Black light encased my mother and me.

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"Well, this sucks," I announced as I kicked a stone across the flat roof we were sitting on.

"Just watch, Andy," my mom snapped from her sitting position on the edge of the building. "You need to learn."

"Shouldn't this guy be old like you and your friends? He sure didn't look like he was any older," I grumbled, picturing the videos of Red X I'd seen online.

"Nightwing thinks this is his son. And I'm not old."

She couldn't see it, but I rolled my eyes. The scene below the building was exciting, sure, but I'd been watching for ten minutes. Cage was zipping all over, throwing punches and being punched. He sent out bolts of blue but Red X easily evaded them. I'd discovered Onyx's power. She could turn her whole body into a shiny, agile rock and shoot sharp slabs of rock from her palms. Only the smaller spears of rock came close to hitting the villain. Marv's power probably incorporated wind and fire, since he was a human flamethrower. It looked like, when he whistled a plume of fire erupted from his mouth and then he could blow on it, control its path with his hands. I made a mental note to try and be friends with him. Trevor was throwing the plates of metal that had made up the wall of the vault at the thief. Trevor hit Red X a few times but the famous thief's son was fast and agile.

Suddenly, Red X's glare shot up to me. I stumbled backward as he disappeared. As I retreated from the side of the roof, my body bumped into something.

"Oof, sorry, mom," I said as I turned.

But the person I'd bumped into wasn't my petite mother. The man was a few inches taller than me and his chest was a hard plane of muscle. A red X slashed across his breast.

Red X grabbed my throat and turned my body, pushing me against his chest as his grip tightened. A cool piece of metal dug against my throat. I struggled against his grip but even my strength couldn't overcome his.

Mom had stood up and was frozen in shock. Onyx, Cage, Trevor and Marv had arrived on the roof and were stock still as they stared.

"Let her go, X," Cage yelled, his mask stretching slightly as his mouth opened.

"Hmm, let's see. No," the computerized voice taunted. "And you, metal boy. Don't even think about it. I've got plenty of other things I can kill her with."

My eyes widened considerably at that. Cage stepped forward and the knife pressed into my throat so hard, it broke skin. The pain, even though it was minimal, roared and tore across my body.

Oh no. Pain is taking adv—

I stomped down hard on Red X's foot and elbowed him in the gut. He let go in surprise and I aimed a quick punched at his head. Red X flew across the roof, scrabbling for traction until he had just a hand clinging onto the roof edge. Something drove me over there to look down at him. I felt my eyes narrow as I leaned down.

"Don't," I plucked one of his fingers from the edge. "Touch." Another. "Me." Another.

Red X disappeared as he pushed a button on his belt. I stood as my anger began to die down. My fingers graced the cut on my neck. It was a small cut and hardly any blood was trickling from it.

"That is so unfair! We've never gotten that close to defeating him!" Onyx complained as she returned to her human form.

"Andy, are you okay?" Mom was a dwarf below me as she reached up to touch my cut.

"Ow, yes mom, I'm fine. Just, give me a second," I muttered as I stepped toward the edge of the roof.

_Let's see what they think of _this.

Don't Andy. Don't do it!

**You can do it. We all know it. Just jump.**

**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**^^**

"She's suicidal! Absolutely insane, I told you!" Marv yelled as Andromeda stepped off the side of the roof.

But no one was listening. All the superheroes on the roof were gathered at the edge, staring down. Cage and Onyx were terrified. Trevor was confused; he knew Andy was smarter than that. And what reason did she have to kill herself? She just came back to life. Rachel Ryder-Roth smirked.

Andy hit the ground at top speed, landing lightly and set off across the street. Rachel knew that she would be running for a while. Andy seemed to constantly need to run. For what reason, Rachel didn't know.

"She'll be back later. Just let her run," Rachel told the teenagers before disappearing.

Cage glanced down to the sidewalk one last time before walking back to his team. "Let's go clean things up."

Marv was the first down to the vault and when his teammates appeared, he was scratching his head. "So he disappears and doesn't come back for the money? He must've been freaked."

"Well that's always a good thing," Onyx commented, picking up a sack of money and emptying it.

They worked in silence until Trevor started to talk. "She can't fly, I can tell that much. Maybe she can land a twenty story fall and run real fast, but she can't fly like us. I'm going to start working on that for her."

"Nightwing will probably put me in charge of training her," Cage muttered.

"Don't get hurt, Cage," Marv commented snidely.

"Oh shut up, Marv. She won't wear her mom's costume so we'll have to come up with something else," Onyx said as they exited the vault.

Trevor finished mending the vault door and joined the three superheroes. He sighed as the reporters started streaming toward them. "This'll be interesting."

A smile flickered across Scar's lips as the first question was asked. "We're proud to say that Red X fled the scene without any money being stolen…."

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There we go! Chapter 7 is over..Hope you liked. Review on the way out, mayhaps?

~writingtitanslove


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